Sinus problem? Allergies? Brain tumor?

I have been experiencing some scary symptoms for several weeks now. I've seen two different doctors, the first one twice a week apart. The first gave me ativan for managing anxiety, which i've used up. The second has gone along with that original diagnosis and also said that my symptoms could be from allergies, recommending claritin in the morning and zantac and benadryl at night to deal with my sleeping disturbances. In addition, if these didn't work, he gave me lexapro to deal with anxiety.

On to the symptoms:

it all started with a feeling of dizziness, almost lightheadedness. It wasn't the kind of dizziness that would make me fall; it was maybe more like disorientation.

Anyway, it has progressed. This original symptoms continued when I tried to sleep. When I laid down, it felt like I was falling backwards. I would have a hard time falling asleep and then would wake up several times in the night, sometimes panicked. Also, sometimes as I was falling asleep, I would jerk and wake myself up; I would also be scared because this seemed like something that shouldn't happen. It would take me a long time to get back to sleep when I woke up in the middle of the night.

New symptoms include feeling drowsy during the day, like the feeling one gets when just waking up except for a long time. This was sometimes accompanied by some big amounts of yawning. Also, this drowsiness combined with/caused a kind of brain fog, a feeling of detachment from everything around me that made it hard to focus. I would also describe this as feeling kind of dazed; there's very little cognitive loss. I can still do pretty much everything I ever did, and I took my college finals while feeling like this and got a 3.7 gpa for the semester.

Sometimes it feels like there's pressure in my sinuses, sometimes in the top of my head; sometimes the pressure is on the left or right side of my head, sort of a headache.

Could this be allergies? What can I do to fix it? As I said, the doctor thinks it's allergies combined with anxiety, but the claritin doesn't seem to be fixing the physical symptoms. Now what?

Probably an ear infection.

I have been going through the same exact thing. However, I get so bad at times that I don't know where I am or what I am doing. I went to an ENT and was told that I had a viral infection at one point that did damage to my ears. He also said that I had a sinus issue that could be resolved using a cleansing liquid (like a neti pot). I was instructed to do Cawthornes Head Exercises to help with the dizzy spells and go to a neurologist for the headaches. After going to the neurologist, it was determined that I have severe anxiety and my serotonin levels are too low. I am on Lexapro and Ambian to help with this and will be going to physical therapy once everything is under control. (I'm meeting with antother ENT this week for a different opinion on the ear thing) Hopefully I'll get some answers!

I have been dignosed with BPPV. Lightheadedness, dizzy spells, tired from not sleeping well due to dizzyness, and I have some anxiety because of the fear of what's going on. BPPV is ot dangerous, but can be challengeing and confusing. See if this might be your problem too.

This sounds like Labyrinthitis, I’ve had it (2008) took me about 6 months to shake it (3 months before i was me again).

That’s an infection that attacks the inner ear, it plays around with the signals from the ear (balance first) however the nerve to your forehead is located there as well do you get an "odd" not quiet me feel when you touch your forehead. It shows up like a cold but sends your ears glued up in seconds, mine was from repeated food that shut up the back of my throat when that "cold / sick" bug was going around late 2007 / 2008.

Its a virus so antibacterial don’t work, I am in the UK, but a USA doc told me to stop eating and drinking all stuff that wasn’t healthy (at the time i only drunk water) so i eat a REAL orange every few days (half each day) and an apple each day. It all slowly got better.

The "shake" when drop to sleep is VERY normal, almost everyone has it, they just never know, however i have just started the same problem you have again (see reason below).

You might want to check for food allergies and intolerances, i have found since I had Labyrinthitis its altered my allergies and intolerances, a food allergy will put your immune system on high alert, you get palpitations in your lower chest (digestive area) as its trying to fight a non existing problem (the food you just eat) so then has a go at your digestive track, this WILL stop you sleeping AND wake you up as well like you have suggested and as food changes your mood, as you guessed can make you just feel "odd" all the time if you have an immune system attacking your digestive system...

The "you but not you" or "foggy feeling" i had, then about 3 months after i started the oranges the "old" me banged right in to the "current" me and that all vanished, i was watching TV programs, known i see them but they didnt seem familiar.

The sleeping thing was first put me up to a problem, i was awake about 2 days working so hard and it not feel right (with the ears blocked up that i thought was a cold), this couldn’t be right, it was explained with Labyrinthitis as it has a go at the nerves in the ears the brain starts to distrusts them, and keeps working, instead of letting you relax at night and sleep, both ears are seeing odd signals you stay awake for no reason and your brain is woring 100% trying to work it all out. This is why when you sleep your brain shuts down, but yours is getting wacky signals from each ear making you feel "dizzy" but not unstable.

With that in mind "doze" more so you get the sleep you need when you can.

The main thing i think is make sure what your eating really isn’t intolorant to you (more stress) and doesn’t kick an allergy reaction off (puts your immune system on high alert), you need it to be fighting your head problem not food.

You may need to cut out food you always used to eat (i used to eat loads of chocolate, I have had to cut it out totally now).

With this in mind it will clear up for you

Many Thanks
Ashley -